The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-06-01
IS BLAcKGUARDIsM TO PREVAIL IN OUR
PULPIT.
The Southern Christian Advocate
Gives the Evangelists n Sound and
Deserved Lecture on the Subject
of Good Manners.
[Southern Christian Aduocatc.l

LSo,thern Christian Aduocatc.l
A few days ago the following dispatch ap-
peared in the Daily Register Of this city:
"ANDERsON, 5. c., May l7.-Messrs. Leltch,
to attend the Holiness Convention at Newber-
ry. They got left yesterday in Seneca, and
therefore came down here on the freight iiain
to enthuSe the people of Anderson with their
doctrine They have made q very unfavora-
Bile impression by their manner OF doing and
saying things. Last night Mr.. Leitch was
making some rather comical remarks about
wOmcn's bangs and buStleS," at which some
of the audience laughed, and he thereupon
denounced them rs 'black-hearted villains
They say some good things, but more that
ought not to be said In a religious meeting.
The Holiness Association will be here some
time between this and the lst of June, so these
men say. Our people are not favorably I'M
pressed with this detachment Of their forces" "
Knowing how little dependence Is to be put
in the average newspaper relort OF snch oc.
serious thought 1t seems. however, that the
Register correspondent was right, as we learn
from the following, taken from the last issue
of The Nc,cbc,7y Observer:
1.-The Observer called on Mr.. Leitch at his
boarding house yesterday afternoon for his
version Of the affair. Mr.. Leitch says that
Mr.. Marshall, Mr.. Henck, of Ten neSSee-not
Haynes-and himself held meeting BY invi-
tition In church in Anderson MONDAY
era persons knelt at the altar for prayer;
that some persons in the back part of the
church created some disorder by giggling and
talking; and to reprove them for 1t, and 10
stop It, lie (Mr. Leitch) said: 4 hope there are
no black. guards in Anderson When asked
If he used the language attributed TO him, he
replied that he did, under the following cir
cumstanccS: During his talk or sermon, he
said some women are more concerned about
their hangs and bustles and their personal ap-
pearancc than about their souls. At this re-
mark some one in the church laughed out ;
and lie then said You black-hearted villain,
your heart is not right before Cod This Is
certainly pretty rough language to use In q
church or in any religious assembly"
We know Mr.. Leitch rs an earnest and sue
cnSSful evangelist Whether he has been reg
ularly licensed by the Church which he repre-
ly, however. that he ever used such language
in the pulpit, or out of It, We regret that he
seems not (from the interview quoted abovel
to be conscious Of how seriously he has Of
of such epithots. We regret that he has not
acknowledged his error. with due apologies
for the same. Such oflenscs against good
morals and good breeding from our religious
teachers are well calculated to bring religion
into contempt. Oh! for Il holiness that will
give men clean lips as well rs clean hearts
"You black hearted villain" is more the
language of the SlumS than Of the pulpit, and
any man who uses such epithets IN the name
of God should be invited TO step down and
out. Few would dare apply such words to an
other except from behind the breastwork of n
pulpit. But when man Is at once proiane
and abusive, even the pnlpitshould not shield
him from responsibility. Some spirited
"laugher'' may yet teach, in iorcible and
unccremoniouS way n lesson of good man
ners and morals that the Adrocnfe wonld fain
impress by milder and more peaccaDle meth
ods.
What Is to become Of us IT the spirit OF
blackglln, d SIN is allowed to prevail in our
pulpits, that are being given over so largely to
the rv:lngeli lists, so called? Is II not time u
{ all halt? Can any perman' n good result
from methods that are SO mt sarience with
good taste and the gentle. lovi ing spirit of the
Gospel? If good is accomplished, does 1t out
weigh the evil? Are these questionable
methods necessary to the success of the evan
geIsto Does his power lie in his cOarSen cSs
of remark and his indecent abuse of the sim
nrr? Under the lead OF certain cvangelistS,
This is fast getting TO be the ponular. style
among some of our young preachers. us for
their SalirS chiefly that we write so plainly
and yet so earnestly. The first qualification
for successful ministry, aside from personal
picty, is goni breeding A Gospel minister
should always he the gentleman. Whenever
he fnrsrts this, he diShonOrS God and dis
graccs his high and holy calling.